Canada: Environment

As the demand for "clean beauty" and sustainable personal care products continues to grow, so too does the risk of deceptive advertising and greenwashing claims.

A ministerial demand under Canada's Environmental Protection Act can transform a compliance issue into an enforcement problem if records are incomplete or late. The FCA Canada case demonstrates that substantial cooperation may not prevent penalties when production gaps remain, and that regulated parties bear full responsibility even when critical data sits with third-party suppliers.

On June 17, 2026, the Alberta Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed an appeal by Fort McMurray 468 First Nation (FM468FN) challenging an Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) decision that the First Nation lacked...

Dans une affaire sans précédent, un tribunal de la Caroline du Nord a rejeté une poursuite concernant le climat, intentée par la Ville de Carrboro contre une société de services publics, constatant que les justifications de la réclamation n’étaient pas « justiciables » (en d’autres mots, elles ne relevaient pas de la compétence des tribunaux).

In a case of first impression, a North Carolina court has dismissed a climate lawsuit brought by the town of Carrboro against a public utility company, finding that the matters raised in the claim were not justiciable or, in other words, inappropriate for determination by a court.

Developments in mining-related investment arbitration in 2025 reflected the ongoing evolution in environmental, social, and governance considerations affecting sovereign risk, project viability, and dispute outcomes. Issues of social licence to operate and host State regulatory responses to environmental and social concerns continued to feature prominently.

Green Rise Foods Inc. v. N.V. Hagelunie, 2026 ONCA 334, is a recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal about insurance coverage for a business loss caused by a series of related events.

On May 15, 2026, the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of Alberta announced an agreement to implement the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced in November 2025. This implementation agreement (Agreement) is the latest announcement on intergovernmental cooperation and formalizes the draft cooperation agreement announced in April and discussed in our March 25, 2026 Update: “Canada and Alberta sign draft cooperation agreement on impact assessment after historic MOU”.

Sustainable living does not have to end with your lifetime. In today’s increasingly eco-conscious world, more and more individuals are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and leave things “greener” for future generations. Eco-friendly estate planning can integrate those values into practical decisions that reduce your environmental impact while caring for loved ones after your death.

Le gouvernement du Québec a récemment publié un projet de règlement modifiant le Règlement sur les matières dangereuses. Il s’agit d’une révision en profondeur d’un régime demeuré largement inchangé depuis la fin des années 1990.

Québec's government has introduced a comprehensive draft regulation to modernize its hazardous materials management framework, marking the first major overhaul since the late 1990s. The reform introduces five key focus areas including enhanced traceability systems, new disposal charges, clearer rules for accidental releases, refined regulatory standards, and more stringent requirements for disposal sites. These changes aim to strengthen accountability across the hazardous materials management chain whi

Environmental laws impose strict obligations to prevent, report, and control discharges and releases, appropriately manage and dispose of waste, and protect wildlife.